Glamis Castle is famous for it connections with Shakespeare's MacBeth.
Although MacBeth's "ghost" has never been spotted, many other specters have
frightened visitors. Supposedly, the castle is haunted because of a curse brought
on the family by Sir John Lyon. He removed an ancestral chalice from Forteviot,
where it was supposed to reside forever.
Earl "Beardie" Crawford
Earl Beardie is one of the most famous ghosts of Glamis castle. In life, he was a
wicked and cruel man, and his mean streak seems to have followed him to the
grave. His spirit wanders the halls and many terrified children have complained
of waking to see his dark figure leaning over them.
The most common tale about Earl Beardie started late one Sunday, while he was
visiting the Earl of Glamis. After more than a few drinks, the Earl began to shout
for a partner to play him at cards. No one wanted to tangle with him, much less
gamble on the Sabbath, so he stomped up to his room. The servants heard him
rage to God and (when He didn't answer) challenge the Devil himself to best him
at cards.
A short while later, just when the servants had thought things had settled down,
there came a knock at the door. A tall man in a long, dark clock swirled in
through the door and asked if Earl Beardie still wanted a partner. The servant he
turned his eyes on shivered and pointed him up to the Earl's room. Earl Beardie
grinned at the challenge and walked with the stranger to another room.
As soon as the door slammed shut, the whole castle began to rock with the
swearing, stamping, and shouting coming from the room. This went on for some
time, until one curious servant dared to peer through the keyhole. A beam of light
shot through the lock, blinding him in one eye. Earl Beardie must have known the
servant was spying, because he came out roaring. After thoroughly cuffing him,
the Earl turned to go back to his cards. However, the room was empty. The
Devil had vanished, along with Earl Beardie's soul, lost in the card game.
Since the Earl's death, people have reported hearing loud swearing and the
rattling of dice. Earl Beardie is supposed to be gambling eternity away with the
Devil in a secret room, although there are several other legends associated with a
secret room in Castle Glamis.
The Secret Room
At one time, someone decided to test the theory about the castle having a secret
room. A towel was hung from each window, but when they checked outside,
there was one window without a towel. This suggested the rumors were true, but
as to what was in it, no one knew.
One legend is that the room was used to wall up and starve the family's enemies.
Another story involves a lady servant who was trapped in the room after she was
caught drinking blood from a victim. According to legend, this vampire still lives
somewhere in Glamis' walls, waiting for some unwitting soul to let her out.
Another popular belief is that the secret room was used to house the horribly
malformed son of the eleventh Earl. To hide this obvious shame to the family, it
was circulated that the boy had died at birth. He was locked in a secret room, but
somehow he survived. His only glimpse of the outdoors was when he was
brought out to be exercise on the ramparts (which are now called the "Mad Earl's
Walk"). In time, a second son was born and was told of his misshapen brother
when he came of age. Supposedly, the true story of the hidden room is passed
down to each heir on their 21st birthday.
The Gray Lady
Recently, a prominent lawyer from Edinburgh was invited to Glamis for dinner.
When he drove up the castle road, he was surprised to see the shadowy figure of
a woman follow his car to the castle doors. The lawyer thought she might have
been a maid, but was baffled as to how she could keep up with him. When he
asked his hosts about it, they told him all maids were in for the night. The only
explanation was that a ghost, the Grey Lady, had glided along with the lawyer.
The specter who followed the Edinburgh lawyer is supposed to be the spirit of
Lady Janet Douglas. The Lady of Glamis was a woman of impeccable character
and beauty, but King James V hated her. Because of his grudge against the
family, King James accused her of witchcraft and plotting to poison him. He
probably did this for political reasons, but no one wanted to go against the King.
Lady Janet, and her son, were condemned to death and imprisoned. Her son got
lucky and was released after the King died.
Lady Janet was not so lucky. After many years in Edinburgh Castle's dank
dungeon, she was hauled out into the harsh sunlight. On Castle Hill, in 1537,
Lady Janet was burned alive at the stake for witchcraft. The Grey Lady has been
recorded wafting around Glamis' family chapel and floating above the Clock
Tower.
The Tongueless Woman
The ghost of a woman with no tongue is said to haunt the grounds, although no
one knows exactly who she is. The specter races around the park, pointing at
her mutilated face; she has also been seen looking out from a barred window
somewhere in the castle.
The Ghost in Armor
One night, a woman and her child were staying in Glamis castle. They had
separate rooms, connected by a door, and the woman was sure her child would
sleep through the night. However, the mother tossed and turned, then finally lit a
candle to read. As soon as she picked up her book, a chilly blast swept through
the room, and the candle fluttered out. She wasn't that worried, though, because
there was still some light coming from the open door to the next room.
Then the mother felt a presence sweep through her room. She looked up and
was terrified to see a gloved hand silhouetted against the light from her
daughter's room. It slowly moved, feeling the doorway, and a man in full chain
mail slid into the light. The man felt around the doorway, then went in, as the
paralyzed mother shook in fright. Then her child screamed from the room, and
the mother jumped out of bed. When she raced in the next room, only the child
was there, sobbing about a giant who crept in and leaned over her bed.